best £1k hybrid

bobmanbike

Hi everyone, very much a casual rider (for now!), I am looking to find the right bike to do my few miles commute and weekend family rides - all on roads, cycle-ways etc. Budget is set at approx. £1k.

Am used to a lightweight mountain bike so tending towards the sportier end of the geometry spectrum but, if I'm honest, as I've done very little riding for the last few years, my interest in things like carbon forks and disc brakes is mainly because of things I've read, rather than any experience of using them.

If it makes a difference, I'm about 5"7 and ten stone. My short-list isn't set in stone, but I have my eye on:

Moda Immer
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/mod ... e-ec044917

Whyte Stirling
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/product_tit ... duct/45665

Lapierre Shaper 700
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lap ... e-ec043328

Trek 7.6 FX
http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/to ... /fx/7_6_fx

So any comments from the experts would be gratefully received.

Thanks all. Cheers.

goonz

Boardman Pro

markhewitt1978

Trek Madone 2.1 - but you say "But that's a road bike", yes, it is, but it can handle gravel paths etc reasonably well but is faster on road than a hybrid. I ride my 2.1 on gravel all the time, it's good fun

daddy0

bobmanbike wrote:

Hi everyone, very much a casual rider (for now!), I am looking to find the right bike to do my few miles commute and weekend family rides - all on roads, cycle-ways etc. Budget is set at approx. £1k.

I guess I should get a road bike.

Thanks all. Cheers.

FTFY

£1000 you say? Get this:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/moser-bikes-111-105-2013/

supersonic

The Boardman Pro is a great 'hybrid' at this price. Lighter than many road bikes of the same price, and all this talk of hybrids being slower is generally nonsense - it depends on the hybrid.

nfrang

I'm looking at cycle to work scheme for around the £500 mark. Loving the Lappierre shaper range (i'm a mtb'r so possibly a halo effect thing) but today i see Sir Chris Hoy has recently launched his own with Evans. Road forum don't seem too keen but the Hybrids look pretty good...the .001 does look like a bargain http://www.hoybikes.com/city

apreading

Boardman Hybrid Pro (or Team if you want to save some money).

The only other one I would consider is the Whyte - which is also an absolutely awesome bike.

bobmanbike

wow, lots of people seem very keen on the Boardman - I gather that's about bang-for-your-buck, particularly around the components they use?

But it's certainly very comparable to my current favourite, the Whyte Stirling. Similar price and weight.

So just been comparing the specs - http://www.boardmanbikes.com/hybrid/hybrid_pro.html vs. http://www.whytebikes.com/2013/product. ... 7d1c9ac9db

Must admit not really too up on the differences here...

(Whyte vs. Boardman)
brakes: Avid Elixir 1 vs. Elixir 5 (not sure of the differences)
shifters: Avid Via GT vs. SRAM Double Tap (not sure if double-tap is an acquired taste?)
rear mech: SRAM Via Centro vs. SRAM Rival (does urban vs. road-based design affect shifting?)
front mech: SRAM Via Centro vs. Microshift (surely makes no odds?)
seat-post: standard (aluminium?) vs. carbon (will this add real comfort?)
crankset: 48/32 vs. 50/34 (higher speed and tougher climbs on the Boardman, or will I even notice?)
rims: Alex Black Dragon vs. Richey Pro Discs (again, any significant difference?)

I'm guessing that if you have to ask questions like this, you're probably not going to notice much difference in components! Really need to organise some test-rides.

apreading

What the specs miss is the feel. Whyte just feel 'special'. Previous versions didnt have much tyre clearance so couldnt fit wide tyres or mudguards easily, but the one I saw recently had resolved this. I was looking slightly cheaper, around the £6-700 mark and the Whyte Portobello had an aluminium fork which made the ride a bit harsh. The new Whytes solve the design issues and with a carbon fork, the higher models are superb.

I think 50/34 is a better compromise if you are riding on road - 34 is plenty low enough for any hill and 48 wont be high enough if you get into riding fast.

To my mind the Boardman Hybrid Team is probably equal to the Whyte in ability and much cheaper, the pro is a better bike. BUT the Whyte is like a boutique brand and has that sparkle of something special, that you wont find in the Boardman's (or many other bikes).

If you want the best value, go Boardman - but if you want to feel different and special then you wont regret the whyte. If you really want the best value then go for the Boardman Hybrid Team from Halfords with British Cycling & oher discounts for £3-400 less though!

bobmanbike

apreading wrote:

the Whyte is like a boutique brand and has that sparkle of something special, that you wont find in the Boardman's (or many other bikes)

Thanks for that - it's really useful. I guess at the end of the day, you want the thing to raise a smile and get you excited to ride it it, right. And that's going to be as much (or more) about the less tangible stuff, the look, the brand etc, as it is about marginal brake improvements or the seat-post - particularly for the casual rider like me.

I'd be really interested in how other people have interpreted that 'specialness' when choosing their bike... (perhaps the moderator will transfer this thread to a psychology site, or navel-gazingtoday.com!)

In the meantime, I'm going to do some test-rides. Cheers.

Ouija

The Whyte looks awful IMO. The main thing is the extremely relaxed geometry of it. With the fork sticking forwards at that angle the bikes not going to feel as responsive as the Boardman (had a hybrid with similar geometry once and just couldn't live with the way it steered).

goonz

I agree about the Whyte's looks, not great imo.

The boardmans frame and lines looks gorgeous you cannot even see the welding on their frames which I simply love. 3 of my cousins just bought the Boardman hybrids, 2 comps and 1 team and they love them.

For the money a lot of bike.

cookeeemonster

bobmanbike wrote:

apreading wrote:

the Whyte is like a boutique brand and has that sparkle of something special, that you wont find in the Boardman's (or many other bikes)

Thanks for that - it's really useful. I guess at the end of the day, you want the thing to raise a smile and get you excited to ride it it, right. And that's going to be as much (or more) about the less tangible stuff, the look, the brand etc, as it is about marginal brake improvements or the seat-post - particularly for the casual rider like me.

I'd be really interested in how other people have interpreted that 'specialness' when choosing their bike... (perhaps the moderator will transfer this thread to a psychology site, or navel-gazingtoday.com!)

In the meantime, I'm going to do some test-rides. Cheers.

Am I reading this wrong or was that a bit of an arsey reply?

He gave you plenty of good advice and a little bit that you (and plenty others) would disagree on. So you concentrate on the bit that you disagree with and mug him off.

Welcome to the site!

apreading

I didnt read it as arsey - the second para was maybe a bit jokey but if he was mugging me off, I didnt realise! I think this is the problem with electronic communication, you miss the tone with which something was intended - I think he was quite innocent.

Still say the Whyte bikes look great - it doesnt come across on the web so much. Also, all the pics on the web are of last year's model - they dont show the change to the rear seat stays that give much more room for wheel clearance etc. I think they have taken that from the frame of their CX bikes as they look more like that now.

I hear what you say about geometry, but in the flesh the ride was every bit as responsive as the Boardman (which I bought in the end for other reasons) - in fact I thought it was even more responsive and felt really lively to ride.

The Boardman is a beautiful bike, looks at least as good as the Whyte if not more so and yes the welds are fantastic, but is quite common and its image is tainted by the fact you have to buy from Halfords. Dont get me wrong, I love mine to bits and if it broke would buy the same again the very next day (I actually think about buying a backup one before they change the range!), but it does have a bit of an issue with its image (not its looks).

wandsworth

I didn't read the reply as arsey either.

I think people can look past the Halfords thing for Boardmans. I see a lot of Boardmans around now, from hybrids to big serious beasts. Check this place out for the elite series: http://www.pelotonco.cc/newsearchres.as ... manuid=109

bobmanbike

sorry, didn't mean to offend - wasn't trying to be arsey. I was (am) genuinely grateful to apreading for reminding me that it's not all about comparing components. Think I was getting a bit bogged down!

the 2nd para was supposed to be a bit jokey - but I was more taking the p*ss out of myself for showing an unhealthy interest in apreading's suggestion to focus on how a bike makes you feel. I still am genuinely interested in how other people judge this really subjective quality - ride, confidence, speed, look...?

but I *do* take offence that the Whyte doesn't look great??! madness...

cookeeemonster

in that case I apologise for reading things wrong!!

bobmanbike

CookeeeMonster wrote:

in that case I apologise for reading things wrong!!

no worries, at all.

off to test-ride some bikes today with any luck - will report back. cheers.

cookeeemonster

bobmanbike wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

in that case I apologise for reading things wrong!!

no worries, at all.

Cheers - I've noticed a few troll like posts from old and new members alike on here lately, think it's made me a bit too sensitve. Good luck with the rides!

bobmanbike

Right - finally done some test rides !

Firstly tried the Whyte Portabello as the LBS didn’t have a Stirling in my size.
http://www.whytebikes.com/2013/product. ... 6&xSec=101
Really enjoyed it – very fast from stand-still. Felt very confident to be on it, very planted and precise, even over an unexpectedly cobbled downhill street! Never tried disc brakes before and they were a revelation. Made me very excited to try the Stirling.

Then I tried the Trek 7.4 – again, because they didn’t have the 7.6 in my size
http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/to ... /fx/7_4_fx
Really keen to try Trek's more upright riding position and see if it made the sportier Whyte feel less comfy in comparison, but actually just felt a bit odd (like I was on something old-fashioned), but I am used to a mountain bike geometry, so I guess no real surprise. Was also keen to check out the carbon fork (missing on the Portabello, but on everything I’m considering). Surprisingly, didn’t get any sense of improved handling, the whole ride was certainly 'buzzier' and less forgiving. Not really sure what I was expecting (maybe too much – I had a flex-stem in 1992!) but, maybe because my weight was further back, the bike didn’t feel anything like as stable (or quick) as the Whyte. The same cobbles made me have to concentrate more as the bike juddered around.

Finally, bit random, but I also tried a Roux Carbon Drive G8, looked kinda cool and lots of odd features to check-out.
http://www.2x2worldwide.com/ROUX/carbondriveG8.html
Very disappointing really, felt heavy and slow. The Nexus hub gears were quite slow to respond and didn’t change very precisely under pedalling. And grip-shift isn’t for me either.

So back to the ‘special-ness’ debate – Whyte the leader right now by a mile. Can’t wait to try the Stirling. Will definitely see if Halfords can get a Boardman Pro in too. Also not discounted the Moda, but might leave the Lapierre as the disc brakes feel like a must now.

Much better to get out of the theory and get on the road. Great fun.

bobmanbike

well, that was disappointing… after you lot got me all excited to check out the Boardman, I went to Halfords and found one. It looked great so asked to organise a test ride, but was told no chance, it’s a company policy not to offer test rides.

just done some googling and apparently this IS company policy. How they expect anyone to shell out a grand without a ride is beyond me.

to be fair, the lad I spoke to took time to chat to me about the bike and was even quite scathing about the policy, but it wasn’t something he could change. In fact, they couldn’t even get a Boardman Pro in the right size in for me, unless I committed to buying it. Bizarre.

So, back to my original short-list then! Next test-ride should be the Moda Immer - trying to sort it with Evans.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/mod ... e-ec044917

markhewitt1978

Sod them then, I suppose there's a reason why they have a poor reputation! Evans might be almost as chain like as Halfords, but at lest they're a proper bike shop.

goonz

Woah don't write off the Boardman just from that!

Try another Halfords if you can, I have ridden them and they are really good bikes. Sweet talk the guy into giving you a test ride. My cousins went into our local Halfords and came out with 2 bikes and a helmet and had 2 pairs of helmets, 2 pairs of gloves and a bottle all thrown in!

To be fair the guy didnt know what hit him, and we went back the next day and he basically said he had been torn a new one by the area manager for the sale!

apreading

They let me ride one around the car park while they watched, that was as close to a test ride as I got. It was at a quiet time though, and apparently was told that they had to stand and watch - not sure how he would have caught me if I had done a runner though!

bobmanbike

to be honest, I'm not faffing around with Halfords if they can't be bothered to offer a proper service. I'm sure the Boardman is an awesome bike but, if I'm honest, although the frame certainly is a thing of beauty, sitting on it in-store didn't really set my heart racing.

I'd also worry that if, at best, I get a quick lap around a car-park, it's not really enough to make an informed decision.

And the double-tap shifters were a bit odd too!

So I'm probably just post-rationalising the fact that my heart still says Whyte, but hey, shoot me!

markhewitt1978

Don't dismiss what your heart says on such things. Purchasing a bike is an emotional as well as a rational choice.

bobmanbike

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Don't dismiss what your heart says on such things. Purchasing a bike is an emotional as well as a rational choice.

Agreed, although we're getting dangerously close to the specialness / arsiness debate from before! (shall we call it 'arse-gate'? No, perhaps not)

But you're right - and I might well be buying into all sorts of snobbery around Halfords and perceived value in Whyte being niche and exclusive feeling, but riding it did really put a smile on my face.

Will report back on the Moda asap too. Cheers.

nfrang

I wouldn't say it's snobbery if they want you to spend 1k before you can touch the merchandise.

bobmanbike

agreed - that's just bonkers. But I do think there's part of me that is pleased not to have to face the possibility of buying from Halfords, rather than a good independent.

markp80

bobmanbike,

You haven't mentioned it, but have you considered the Specialized Sirrus? There are a range of different spec models of the Sirrus, right up to the Sirrus Expert at £1,000, with SRAM Apex gears (which I personally like), but the Elite and Comp models have good spec components for the money, and there are disc versions too if you prefer these brakes. These bikes are very much biased towards fast road commutes as opposed to being towards the mountain-bike bias, so could be what you are looking for.

My wife has the ladies-geometry version of the Sirrus, the Vita, and I have to say, I think it's a very nice bike. It rolls really well on the road/cycle paths, she flies along on it, and it's transformed her cycling since moving from a mountain bike. You may well have an LBS that stock these, any model will do for the geometry/sizing, then take your pick on the model.

Definitely another one to consider IMHO, just to give you another option.

Link to the Expert version -
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/specialized-sirrus-expert-13
and the Comp -
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/specialized-sirrus-comp-13

The other models are there too if you have a look around.

Cheers,
MarkP

markhewitt1978

bobmanbike wrote:

agreed - that's just bonkers. But I do think there's part of me that is pleased not to have to face the possibility of buying from Halfords, rather than a good independent.

I can't think of anywhere else where you would spent £1,000 on a consumer product without being allowed to test it!

And you should buy from an independent, chances are you'll get better service and local bike shops need all the trade they can get. When I go into my shop the guys in there know me by sight, and know exactly what bikes I've had, what issues I've had etc etc, you can be sure that won't be the case at a large chain with a high staff turnover.

But it also means I can't really go in to just browse